response 191 of 215:

Jun 12 03:59 UTC 2001

  On the crest behind them I saw a sudden tumult of movement, and thought,
ah, yes, those are mounted Sioux--by Jove, there are plenty of them, and
tearing down like those Russians at Campbell's Highlanders.  Lot of
war-bonnets and lance-heads, and how hot the sun is, and me with no hat. 
Elspeth would have sent me indoors for one.  Elspeth . . .
  "Hoo'hay, Lacotah!  It's a good day to die!  Kye-ee-kye!"
  "You bloody liars!" I screamed, and all was fast and furious again, with
a hellish din of drumming hooves and screams and war-whoops and shots crashing
like a dozen Gatlings all together, the mounted horde charging on one side,
and as I wheeled to flee, the solid mass of red devils on foot racing in like
mad things, clubs and knives raised, and before I knew it they were among us,
and I went down in an inferno of dust and stamping feet and slashing weapons,
with stinking bodies on top of me, and my right hand pumping the Bulldog
trigger while I gibbered in expectation of the agony of my death-stroke.  A
moccasined foot smached into my ribs, I rolled away and fired at a painted
face--and it vanished, but whether I hit it or not God knows, for directly
behind it Custer was falling, on hands and knees, and whether I'd hit *him*,
God knows again.  He rocked ack on his heels, blood coming out from his mouth,
and toppled over, and I scrambled up and away, cannoning into a red body,
hurling my empty Bulldog at a leaping Indian and closing with him; he had a
sabre, of all things, and I closed my teeth in his wrist and heard him shriek
as I got my hand on the hilt, and began laying about me blindly.  Indians and
troopers were struggling all around me, a lance brushed before my face, I was
aware of a rearing horse and its Indian rider grabbing for his club; I slashed
him across the thigh and he pitched screaming from the saddle; I hurled myself
at the beast's head and was dragged through the mass of yelling, stabbing,
struggling men.  Two clear yards and I hauled myself across its back, righting
myself as an Indian stumbled under its hooves, and then I was urging the pony
up and away from that horror, over grassy ground thatt was carpeted with still
and writhing bodies, and beyond it little knots of men fighting, soldiers with
clubbed carbines being overwhelmed by Sioux--but here was a guidon, and a
little cluster of blue shirts that still fired steadily.  I rode for them
roaring for help, and they scrambled aside to let me through, and I tumbled
out of the saddle into Keogh's arms.
  "Where's the General?" he yelled, and I could only shake my head and point
dumbly at the carnage behind me.

response 193 of 215:

Jun 12 14:20 UTC 2001

_Little Men_, Louisa May Alcott

response 195 of 215:

Jun 12 21:16 UTC 2001

  "But I don't speak Danish, dammit!"
  "But you have a gift for languages, remember?  In the few weeks available,
you can be given a smattering.  No more than that will be necessary, for His
Highness speaks German indifferently well, as you will before you take his
place.  You have a tolerable fluency as it is."
  "But ... but ... well, how the devil do you propose that I *should* take
his place?  Go to Denmark, I suppose, and present suitable references!
Balderdash!"
  "You need not go to Denmark.  I have been in constant communication with
Prince Carl Gustaf.   Naturally, he does not know of our plan, but he does
have great faith in me.  One of the ministers I mentioned is in my employ.
Through him, all has been arranged.  The Prince will set out from Denmark
when the time comes with his retinue; he has been led to believe I have found
a way out of his difficulties.  He is rather a simple fellow, although
amiable, and supposes that I can arrange matters.  In that belief he will
come to Holstein, en route to Strackenz, and in Holstein the substitution
will take place.  The mechanics you may leave to me."
  It was like listening to some grotesque fairy-tale.  The cool, precies
way in which he told it was staggering.
  "But ... but this retinue -- his people, I mean...."
  "The minister who is my agent will accompany the Prince.  His name is
Detchard.  With him at your side, you need have no fears.  *And no one
will suspect you*:  why should they?"
  "Because I'll give myself away in a hundred things, man!  My voice, my
actions--God knows what!"
  "That is not so," said Bismarck.  "I tell you, I know the Prince, his
voice, his mannerisms--all of it.  And I tell you that if you shave your
head and upper lip, your own mothers would not know you apart."
  "It's true," says Rudi, from the fireplace.  "You aren't just alike;
you're the same  man.  If you learn a few of his habits--gestures, that
sort of thing--it can't fail."
  "But I'm not an actor! How can I--"
  "You wandered in Afghanistan disguised as a native, did you not?" says
Bismarck.  "I know as much about you as you do yourself, you see.  If you
can do that, you can easily do this."  He leaned forward again.  "All this
has been thought of.  If you were not a man of action, of proved resource
and courage, of *geist und geschicklichkeit*, with and aptitude, I would
not have entertained this scheme for a moment.  It is because you *have*
all these things, and have proved them, that you are here now."
  Well, that was all *he* knew.  God help him, he believed the newspapers,
and my huge overblown reputation--he thought I was the daredevil _____
_______ of popular report, the Hero of Jallalabad, and all that tommy-rot.
And there was no hope that I could persuade him otherwise.

response 197 of 215:

Jun 13 02:17 UTC 2001

The quotes are from two different books (although the main character is the
same).  To the best of my knowledge, the author has written no Arthur books.

response 199 of 215:

Jun 13 04:33 UTC 2001

Er, uh, that's got to be Flashman!  Wish I could remember the author...

response 201 of 215:

Jun 13 14:37 UTC 2001

Which is why I thought it was Sharpe.  I'll have to read the Flashman books
after I finish the Sharpe stories.

response 203 of 215:

Jun 19 03:41 UTC 2001

(Re: #202 - Tolkien, LOTR)

Got a new quote for us, mdw?

response 205 of 215:

Jun 19 11:15 UTC 2001

The "blad that was broken" is a fairly specific piece of the plot, if nothing
else gives it away.  Other stuff gives it away, though.

response 207 of 215:

Jun 19 20:44 UTC 2001

Edumon Spenser?  No, probably not.

response 209 of 215:

Jun 19 22:19 UTC 2001

I think you're right.

response 211 of 215:

Jun 24 02:21 UTC 2001

Hmmm...I guess I should do this in the newagora.

response 213 of 215:

Jun 25 15:39 UTC 2001

Well, I can do that, but would you ask in the new item, please?